Please join me for a talk on LinkedIn

When working with people on social media channels such as LinkedIn, potential customers often want to know “What’s in it for me?” While many want to embrace social media, they find themselves unable to grasp the opportunities that are available.

That’s why I’m very excited to work with Generations Federal Credit Union to present “Sip and Social: LinkedIn For Your Business” on September, 18 at their new location, located at 1828 N. St. Mary’s Street. I asked Ray Trevino, the owner of EaglePrint SA, to help in this presentation. Like many his age, who remember black and white TVs and other technical innovations, Ray questioned the value statement of social media several months ago.

Through a combination of my coaching efforts and his hard work, Ray built a LinkedIn profile, a Facebook Fan Page and now a Google Plus site for his business.

The folks at Generations have asked us to show their customers how to create a LinkedIn profile at this talk. I will use Ray’s profile as a guide to help those who typically possess a “stealth profile”, an account that merely lists the individuals’ name, title and company.

During his talk, Ray and I will cover the three most basic of LinkedIn elements. First, there is the photo. It’s best to use one that conveys a professional image for your industry. For those who don’t normally wear a tie to work, I suggest against wearing that suit reserved for family weddings as part of their profile picture.

Second, the course will cover the overlooked summary statement, utilizing the “elevator speech” method. When Ray started this, I had him imagine that he was meeting someone like Red McCombs in the elevator at the Weston Centre. His summary now capitalizes that hypothetical 30-second pitch.

Lastly, the course will show attendees how to create an “experience” section in their profile. If Ray’s profile impressed someone like Mr. McCombs enough to get a follow on appointment, this is the rest of the information one needs to make a positive impression on him.

After showing attendees how to create a profile, I’ll show everyone how to network with others with LinkedIn. We’ll discuss how to connect with people, how to use a LinkedIn group to collaborate on issues and other aspects of this well known social media tool.

I look forward to meet those who want to build a better LinkedIn profile. Attendees should remember that LinkedIn works best with the attitude that it’s a “work in progress.” Next Wednesday’s session is hopefully the starting point of a new journey to meet and network with other small business professionals.